Heroic actions in the face of atrocity

Heroic actions in the face of atrocity

By Susan Suarez President & CEO

This month, we invite you to join us for “The Virtual Luncheon” on Thursday, Dec. 10, at 11:30 a.m. on the Museum’s YouTube channel. There is no cost or RSVP required to view the event. Sponsorships are available and fully deductible, with sponsors recognized on our website, event promotion and during this special program.

This year’s presentation, “The Courage of Castellanos,” is about the powerful story of Colonel José Arturo Castellanos. The El Salvador diplomat helped save the lives of approximately 40,000 European Jews by issuing them citizenship papers to his tiny Central American country. One of the families he saved has a local Naples connection — that of Holocaust Survivor and Museum Board Member Rob Nossen.

The program will include an exclusive interview between Nossen, and Alvaro and Boris Castellanos, Col. Castellanos’ grandsons. The Castellanos brothers will also discuss and preview their recent documentary, “The Rescue,” about their grandfather’s heroic story. After the war, Colonel Castellanos lived a quiet life. When interviewed in the 1970s, he downplayed his role and was quoted as saying, “whoever was in my place would have done the same.” In 2010, he was recognized as “Righteous Among the Nations.” His name was later inscribed on a memorial at Yad Vashem, honoring 36 World War II-era diplomats who used their positions to save the lives of Jewish people across Europe.

For more information on The Virtual Luncheon, hosting an event “watch party” or event sponsorship opportunities, please contact me at Susan@HMCEC.org or 239-263-9200.

To view the event on the Museum’s YouTube Channel, go to YouTube.com and search for “Holocaust Museum & Cohen Education Center,” or visit our website, www.HMCEC.org, and click on our YouTube channel link. Hope to (virtually) see you at this special event!

Girl Power exhibit

Next month, we are presenting a brandnew, temporary exhibit in the Estelle and Stuart Price Gallery. Girl Power will focus on the heroic actions taken by women during the Holocaust and beyond. The women of Girl Power represent a variety of ages, backgrounds and experiences. You won’t want to miss this powerful exhibit.

Customized Museum programs available

Looking for an interesting Zoom program for your community, club, religious congregation, group of friends or family members? Contact us! We can schedule a customized Zoom program just for you. Programs vary, from a virtual tour of the Museum with a docent and a Q&A session, a Zoom discussion with a survivor, an overview of the Museum’s mission and education programs with me, or a program customized to your interests. Programs will be about an hour in length and can be scheduled at your convenience. Please contact David Nelson at David@HMCEC.org for details.

As 2020 winds down, I want to thank all of those who supported the Museum and its education mission during the upheaval of the pandemic this year. With your support, we were able to quickly pivot our education programs into online instruction units for teachers and students to better meet their remote learning challenges. Our public programming has been thriving via numerous, well-attended Zoom presentations of interesting topics and speakers. With the COVID-19 safety precautions in place at the Museum, visitors have been returning to tour the new Museum, which just celebrated its first anniversary.

We hope you will visit us — please check our website for pre-purchased timed-entry tickets and other information about hours, holiday schedule and upcoming events.

As always, if you have any questions or would like to discuss how to support our mission, particularly with a year-end gift or bequest, please contact me at Susan@HMCEC.org or call 239-263-9200.

Wishing you and your families a Happy Channukah, and a safe and healthy New Year!